Go and Do Likewise!: The Parables and Wisdom of Jesus by John Hendrix

Abstract

Reviewed by: Go and Do Likewise!: The Parables and Wisdom of Jesus by John Hendrix Elizabeth Bush Hendrix, John Go and Do Likewise!: The Parables and Wisdom of Jesus; written and illus. by John Hendrix. Abrams, 2021 [40p] Trade ed. ISBN 9781419737053 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781683358572 $15.54 Reviewed from digital galleys R* Gr. 2-5 In lightly edited Scriptural retellings, Hendrix pays homage both to the deft, often provocative, use of imagery and metaphor in Jesus' public teaching, and to the illuminated medieval manuscripts of sacred texts that have enhanced plainspoken words with astonishing beauty. Selections are well known—Beatitudes, and parables such as the Good Samaritan, the Shepherd and His Lost Sheep, the Prodigal Son—and although an occasional updating appears ("Some rowdy unwashed children tumbled around the feet of Jesus"), most of the text is based closely on familiar New Testament translations. It's in illustration that Hendrix brings his skills to bear, with character images that would be at home in graphic novels, illuminated initials and borders that introduce the passages, and boldly imagined scenes that encase the text. There's no gold or silver in this "illumination," but rather powerful onyx letter components embellished with brightly colored motifs and often enhanced with pithy story references. In his notes Hendrix declares his personal belief in Jesus as God incarnate, but the narrative itself is as welcoming to explorers as to believers. This title, which melds contemporary visual expression with centuries-old artistic [End Page 265] tradition, will be particularly valued for multigenerational shared Bible reading. An author's note on Jesus' use of metaphor, notes on Scriptural and historical resources, and thoughts on retelling vs. translating are appended. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois